One of the biggest time wasters I’ve encountered is voice mail. Sometimes trying to connect with a real human is like playing a game of “tag, you’re it.”
But voice mail is very common. I happen to love it and think it can work really well. The problem is that many people use it as a message dump instead of the effective communication tool that it can be. All too often, people leave messages like, “Hello, this is [name] please give me a call. My number is xxx-xxxx.”
Calling them back is inefficient for two reasons. You may not be prepared for the call or you may get their voice mail.
A better way to leave a voice mail is to leave your name and contact information and the reason why you’re calling such as, “Hello, this is [name] at xxx-xxxx. I wanted to confirm our lunch date on X day at X time. No need to call me back if you can make it. If we do need to reschedule, please call me with an alternate date and time.”
See the difference? The second method saves both people time. Think about that the next time you leave someone a voice mail.
What about you? What suggestions do you have to make voice mail effective?
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About Denise O'Berry
When leaving your phone number … **** PLEASE **** speak slowly and clearly! And to make me really happy .. repeat it in the same manner.
So many calls go unreturned in my office because we do not understand your number!
Julie — I am SO with you on that one. This happened to me just last week — again. Even though I listened to the voice mail five (count ‘em five!) times, I still couldn’t catch the number. Frustrating.